The present invention is directed to providing fluid/particle separators and gas cleaning devices and/or gas cleaning systems such as, for instance, electrostatic precipatators (ESP), bag filters (BF), spray dryer absorbers (SDA), evaporative coolers, cyclones, venturi scrubbers, dry systems, humidified dry systems, semi-dry systems, wet systems, combined systems, mechanical separators and the like, with vibration means coupled with control means capable of varying the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations being generated. More particularly, the present invention is directed to control systems and methods for controlling vibration inducing or generating devices utilized to clean and/or operate components of such separator and gas cleaning systems. The systems utilize controllers having input both supplied directly from sensors mounted at spaced surface portions, zones or on components within such devices, and indirectly from additional sensors for measuring operating parameters such as, for instance, pressure differential between inlets and outlets of such systems and/or flow characteristics into and out of such systems or through filtering materials associated with such systems as well as power, voltage, and current conditions of motors associated with fans, blowers, pumps and other equipment associated with such separator and filtering devices for purposes of creating control signals to the generating devices for varying vibration frequencies and amplitudes for developing resonant frequency conditions at various zones and/or on various components of such systems and devices to thereby optimize the operation thereof. Additionally, the controllers may be programmed to provide control signals using previously accumulated data concerning operating characteristics of the same or similar devices or systems.